1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic equipment with a fluid leakage detection unit and, more particularly, relates to an electronic equipment using a fluid device, such as a fuel cell or a fluid cooling system, with a fluid leakage detection unit for leakage detection of the fluid used in the fluid device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, it is diligently considered that an application of a fuel cell to a power source of a portable electronic equipment, such as a cellular phone, a notebook type PC and such, is diligently being studied. As such, a fuel cell, a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC, hereinafter), in which methanol aqueous solution is directly used as a fuel for power generation, is now considered to be preferable.
A DMFC unit is, in general, provided with a fuel cell for reaction, a fuel tank for housing the methanol aqueous solution as a fuel and supplying the fuel to the fuel cell and flow paths interconnecting the fuel cell, the fuel tank and such. Whole of the DMFC unit may be either housed in the electronic equipment or attached to an outside of the electronic equipment.
A fuel cell unit housed in or attached to the electronic equipment may be subject to severe impact causing leakage of the fuel because the electronic equipment often drops to the ground or a floor during carrying or use.
Furthermore, the electronic equipment may be provided with a water cooling system for cooling electronic devices housed therein. The water cooling system may also have risk for leakage of water therein.
For prevention of undesired problem caused by fluid leakage, there is a proposed art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. 2002-232176, in which a water cooling system for cooling semiconductor devices is covered by water-absorbing material.